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Saturday, November 20, 2010

This blog’s entire purpose is for me to share my experience baking cupcake recipes. Whether I like the recipe or the outcome – or not. In this situation: OR NOT. And the blog needs to be honest – otherwise nobody will know if something is done wrong or not! This blog is not a search for appreciation. This blog is not a place for me to complain. This blog is a place for me to tell the truth about what happened, and maybe search for some answers if something isn’t quite right with a recipe.

The book I started this blog on was is Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans which starts out with basic recipes that a lot of the recipes in the book are based on: yellow batter cupcakes and a sour cream based chocolate cupcake recipe. The yellow batter is really good, but recently I have been using the Confetti Cupcakes recipe because it just tastes so frickin’ good! I have yet to find the perfect Chocolate Cupcake recipe.

The most recent search for the “perfect frosting” turned out great! I have found that frosting and use it on everything because it’s pretty and tastes amazing!

My new search is for the “perfect chocolate cupcake recipe” and this search will continue until I can find it – there is no stopping. So…. Family, I’m sorry if you get really bad cupcakes for a while. Just know, I will find it, it is out there.

This weekend the youth at my church are doing a fundraiser. I should probably mention that I am the coordinator for the high school group, so I take a lot of pride in my youth, and I work very hard to make them happy. The fundraiser is to sell car decals: (a 4X6?) sticker to put on your car with the denominations name and a chalice. Along with this, the youth decided to make cupcakes and cookies to sell to the church (or anybody who wants them!). We decided we would make chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and a type of Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Vanilla Cupcakes = Confetti Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes = Sour cream based chocolate cupcakes

Cookies = Chicago Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sounds easy? Sure!!!! No.

The confetti cupcakes went great – no problems.

The frostings (chocolate and vanilla) went great – no problems.

The cookies went great – no problems.

The chocolate cupcakes went PHHHFBT!!! – PROBLEMS!!

Something about this recipe frustrates me. The cupcakes do not bake all the way and always ALWAYS ALWAYS!!! deflates. I tried it again thinking it would work if someone else was using the recipe. (Plus, I paid for most of the ingredients, so none of the cupcakes would come out of the youth fund.) I feel awful that 50+ cupcakes had to be thrown away because they may not have been cooked all the way through, or there may have been something wrong with them. I don’t like wasting food. I don’t like watching the youth have a great time baking the cupcakes all for naught. It makes me wonder what on earth is going on with the recipe, where I go wrong, or if I’m using a wrong ingredient somewhere. The search goes on. If anybody could share some insight, that would be fantastic. The recipe is located here if you want to look it over and see what is so horribly wrong with this recipe? It comes from a book that has so many other great recipes, I just can’t believe that this recipe could fall apart.

EDIT!
I forgot the link the recipe, so I did that, but if you would rather just view it here....

Directions:
1. Put the chocolate in a double boiler, and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, and set it aside to let it cool
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. In a large electric mixing bowl, whip the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl if necessary.
4. On a low speed, mix the melted chocolate in the butter mixture.
5. On a medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is smooth.
6. Add the vanilla, mix about 1 minute.
7. Mix in the sour cream until completely blended, no white streaks.
8. On a low sweep, add half of the flour mixture.
9. Mix in the water.
10. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until completely smooth.

The batter is ready to be baked now, or add fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. To bake, put batter in cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the cupcakes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean, or with dry crumbs.

Sunday, November 07, 2010

As the seasons turn from early fall to full on autumn, pumpkins and spices become the favorite flavors. Another birthday at work, so I asked my co-worker what flavor she would like. Her first answer was "something with pumpkin". I thought to myself, "that's easy enough, especially since I had a recipe I had been waiting to try. After reading the recipe, my only fear was that I didn't know where to find Crystallized Ginger. After talking with my mother, she mentioned an Asain market or a health food store, as ginger is commonly used in Asain foods, or as a tool to help an ailing stomach. I did find the ginger needed for the recipe, after a little searching in the candy aisle of a 99 Ranch Market. The recipe comes from the book Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans.

About the Bakers

Nicole is an avid crafter who loves to bake, cook, scrapbook, sew, and crochet. Guess you could say, she makes a hobby of acquiring hobbies. She is a fun-loving, energetic soul who is looking to share her passion with others who love to bake! "Why cupcakes?" you ask. "WHY NOT?!" She says! She has been married for one year, and enjoys baking for her husband and family.

After seeing "Julie & Julia" she wanted to create her own blog, but about cupcakes. She received a cupcake cookbook from a close friend for her bridal shower and decided to crack into it! Her goal? She challenges herself to bake at least one new batch of cupcakes a week, from a recipe she has never used.

Tanya is a self-proclaimed cupcake aficionado and a lover of new challenges. When not watching science fiction or playing with her son, she often finds herself pondering questions without real answers. It’s definitely interfered with her getting the recommended amount of beauty sleep. ;) She is a mother to the neatest little boy you will ever meet and is happily divorced! She's moving on to new adventures and loves every moment with her new and wonderfully amazing boyfriend.